Life at Work 2023

Dato’ Hajah Norison is currently the Deputy Secretary-General (Operation) Ministry of Human Resources. She has been in the Diplomatic and Administrative (PTD) scheme since 1996 with Ministry of Entrepreneur Development. She is an accomplished professional with 27 years of experience in infrastructure, finance, entrepreneurship, and business management.

In years of experience, she made significant contribution in the development of various government policies, nationally and internationally.

Jennifer Lopez is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the British Malaysian Chamber of Commerce (BMCC). Jennifer steers the BMCC’s robust network comprising 250 MNCs & SMEs, together with its associates and key stakeholders from both the private and public sectors, with the purpose to strengthen the UK- Malaysia business relations. In her role, she leads a lean team to create opportunities for BMCC members on business matching, networking, profiling and branding while providing a representative industry voice to engage and dialogue with key government stakeholders.

Jennifer also works with her team to promote and support the growth of the UK & Malaysia bi-lateral trade and investments opportunities. She is also the chief liaison for the BMCC Board of Directors, the Malaysian spokesperson for the bilateral chambers under the British in Southeast Asia (BISEA) faction as well as the British Chambers of Commerce international network. As a Chartered Accountant by training, Jennifer has enjoyed a versatile career in professional education, finance and accounting sectors, including assuming the role as Head of Malaysia at ACCA for 5 years; honing her specialities in developing strategic partnerships, corporate branding and stakeholder management.

Dato' Nathan K Suppiah is the Vice President of the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) and has been a Council Member since 1997. A distinguished professional with over 30 years of experience in manufacturing and retail sectors. He is well recognized for his extensive experience in business strategy and development. He also sits on many private and GLC companies’ Boards.

In years of experience, he made significant contributions to the establishment of the Panasonic Human Resources Training Centre and the development of the Panasonic Sports Centre for the Panasonic Group of Companies, driven by his belief in the importance of employee growth and well-being. In his capacity as a member of the Panasonic Group Human Resources Committee, he also played a vital role in initiating a scholarship fund for deserving students in local universities.

Dato’ Dr. Munirah Looi is the Founder and CEO of Brandt Business Services. She is also holds the position as Councillor Talent Gap Chair, Women In Tech Deputy Chair in PIKOM Malaysia.

Brandt Business Services, a company specializing in Business/Digital Transformation/CX Consulting and Business Process Managed Services through the utilization of digital workforce. With over 30 years of experience, she is a seasoned Facilitator, CX & Digital Transformation Strategist, and practitioner in Operational Excellence Management & Human Performance Improvements. Throughout her career, she has undertaken various corporate and consulting assignments in Customer Experience, Organization Development, and Digitalization, both domestically and internationally, with extensive work in Asia and the US.

She has led teams and individuals on career enhancement and portfolio expansion, placing a strong emphasis on customer-centricity. Throughout her career, she has coached and mentored high-potential talents, guiding them towards career advancement and supporting to C-level executives.

Nadiah has held the positions of Executive Director and Group Chief Executive Officer of TMC Life Sciences Berhad since February 2019, and has been serving as the Chief Executive Officer of Thomson Hospitals Sdn. Bhd. since June 2017. Prior to this, she was the Group Chief Corporate Officer of TMC Life Sciences Berhad. She holds an MSc in Public Health (Nutrition) from the London School of Hygiene and Medicine, UK, where she received the prestigious Hecht Bequest for her outstanding performance as the Best Student in Public Health (Nutrition). She pursued her undergraduate studies in Biochemical Sciences at Harvard College (AB cum Laude, ’07) while conducting research at Boston Children’s Hospital with grants from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Nadiah is also an Independent Non-Executive Director for The Institute of Corporate Directors Malaysia. In January 2023, she was appointed as a committee member by the Private Healthcare Productivity Nexus under the Malaysia Productivity Corporation.

She is a member of the Forum of Young Global Leaders Class of 2020 and currently serves as the youngest and first female President of the Harvard Club of Malaysia. She is a mother of one who is passionate about transforming healthcare delivery.

Mr. Gurpardeep Singh graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Hons) Degree in Computer Science from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia in 1988, and a Master of Science Degree in Technology Management from Staffordshire University, UK. He has had almost 30 years’ experience in both the ICT and Higher Education industries, as a developer, project manager, technology manager and educator. Starting his career as an IT Project Manager with Malaysia’s leading Banking Group, Gurpardeep continued his career in academic management, technology development as well as technology programme design, development and delivery with the Asia Pacific Institute of Information Technology (APIIT) and subsequently the Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU).

He presently holds the position of Chief Operating Officer with the APIIT Education Group, and apart from his primarily responsibility for overall institutional development and operations, he also functions as the Group’s Chief Information Officer, with a focus on ensuring the planning, development and deployment of Digital Technology infrastructure and solutions in support of both educational Institutions within the Group. In this regard, he is overseeing strategic projects within the Group’s Digital Transformation programme aimed at exploiting technology advancements such as Cloud Computing, Mobile Solutions Development, IOT, AI and Data Analytics. Gurpardeep also serves as the Chairman of the Sectorial Training Committee (Education) under the Human Resource Development Corporation (HRDCorp) since 2016.

Norlida (Oli) Azmi is a passionate advocate of DEIB, digital, well-being and sustainability. She is currently Group Chief People Officer of Axiata and also serves as a NINED on edotco Group. Oli is an Adjunct Professor for Organisational Behaviour and Leadership at UNITAR International University's Graduate School and is a member of the TalentCorp Industry-Talent Advisory Council (INTAC). She was recently awarded the Chartered Fellow CIPD and co-authored a book entitled “How Dare They”.

She has more than 35 years professional experience and spent more than 18 years overseas; Singapore, London, Riyadh, Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. She has had a portfolio of diverse roles as Business Head, Risk Manager, COO, Strategic Planning Head and CHRO with global and regional companies including Citibank, Standard Chartered, HSBC, Middle-Eastern banks as well as UEM Group and PNB.

Shahzad Umar is a well-known HR professional in the FMCG industry, boasting over 20 years of experience in the field. Despite his engineering background, he took an unconventional path to achieve success in HR.

One of the notable HR policies implemented under Shahzad Umar's leadership is Nestle's provision of six months of paid and unpaid leave for new mothers, which stands out as one of the best policies among FMCG companies. Additionally, Nestle's Management Trainee Program is highly sought after by young talents, with 8,000 applications received last year. This structured and institutionalized training program has paved the way for many individuals to rise to director-level positions within Nestle. Currently, Nestle is setting benchmarks in various areas, offering valuable lessons for others to learn from.

Adrita Datta is an accomplished HR leader with over 15 years of extensive experience in diverse multicultural-multinational environments. Her expertise spans across various domains including HR operations, commercial business partnering, talent and organizational effectiveness, as well as employee and industrial relations. She boasts an impressive track record of achievements across the dynamic Asia Pacific markets, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Japan, and her current base in Malaysia.

Adrita's educational background includes an MBA in Human Resources from India's prestigious Symbiosis Institute of Business Management. She places a strong emphasis on qualities such as learning agility, adaptability, and a results-oriented approach, which she believes are crucial for achieving success in the field.

A fervent advocate for diversity and inclusion, Adrita seamlessly integrates these principles into her professional endeavours. Her visionary outlook and significant contributions have earned her recognition as a forward-thinking women leader in Bangladesh. With her wealth of experience and unwavering dedication, Adrita serves as an invaluable asset in the realm of HR leadership, poised to shape the future of work.

Akmal Niza Ahmad is a distinguished professional, currently serving as the Head of Global HR Partners in Petronas' Upstream Business division. Her extensive career of over two decades attests to her steadfast dedication and mastery of the human resources domain.

As a driving force in the dynamic landscape of Remuneration Development, Akmal Niza Ahmad has played a pivotal role in designing and implementing comprehensive compensation and benefits strategies at Petronas. Her influence spans across diverse global regions, including the UK/Europe, Latin America, Asian Pacific, and the Middle East Central Malaysia.

She is a notable advocate of Diversity and Inclusion (D&I), as evidenced by her significant contribution through the establishment of the Petronas Leading Women Network (PLWN) in 2015. Beyond her role at Petronas, her expertise extends internationally, where she actively contributes to the Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) task force. Her engagement with the Asean HR Leaders’ Circle – Malaysia further solidifies her role as a respected thought leader in the field.

Akmal Niza Ahmad's commitment to fostering growth and development shines through her 'Brilliant at Basic' program within the Upstream HR domain. This innovative initiative uses storytelling and real-case scenarios to provide valuable insights to executives and leaders. Through this program, she not only facilitates a deep understanding of HR guidelines and policies but also showcases her exceptional ability to make complex concepts accessible and impactful.